The cable or wire of concern here is one having one or more electrical conductors as a center core, each conductor being surrounded by at least one insulating layer and, more particularly, a cable known in the trade as building wire, one type of which is also referred to as non-metallic sheathed cable. Because of its use in the construction of buildings, building wire is subjected to potential cut-through damage caused by fasteners such as staples and pressure from the materials of construction such as concrete and steel. The Underwriters' Laboratories, therefore, requires that non-metallic sheathed cable pass certain crush resistant tests without degradation of other physical properties. In addition to meeting these crush resistant requirements, the cable desirably has improved deformation and tensile strength properties, all without the necessity of being crosslinked.